stumbleupon Email Comment Formula One is the most popular racing championship in the world. Every year, millions of fans watch 11 teams undertake 19 races in an effort to win the championship. Points are handed out to individual drivers as well as the constructors who build the cars. Like the lead singer of a band, the drivers usually grab all of the attention. Lewis Hamilton , Sebastian Vettel , Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher are all well known figures in the world of Formula One. The recent Ron Howard film, Rush, captured the rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, not necessarily the battle between McLaren and Ferrari. The drivers are the stars, they have the dramatic on and off-track rivalries, they can get hurt in crashes and hoist the champagne on the podium after winning. The lead singer, however, is often nothing without a band. The driver, likewise, is nothing without his or her car. In Formula One, the great drivers were and are undeniably skilled. Yet, they are skilled because of how they handle their car and how their car can help them win.

If it wasn’t for the constructors, the companies which design and build the cars, the drivers would be nothing more than a collection of people standing on a racetrack wearing flame-retardant clothing. Formula One is an expensive championship to participate in. Teams at the higher end often have budgets of over $200 million. New race technologies and regulations force manufacturers and teams to constantly spend huge sums on research and development in order to keep their cars competitive. Over the years, many constructors have come and gone. Failure on the track has sent more than one constructor away with their tail between their legs. Financial ruin or tough economic times has forced many more to call it a day. Honda, Porsche, Toyota and Alfa Romeo have all come and gone. Nonetheless, some, like McLaren and Ferrari, have weathered tough times and challenges on the track to stick around. All of this leads to the main question; Who are the most successful constructors in the history of Formula One? T9. BRM : 1 Constructors’ Championship In the period immediately following World War II, Thomas Raymond Mays established British Racing Motors (BRM).

Mays, keen on seeing Britain become a major racing power, had developed a number of competition vehicles before the war with manufacturer English Racing Automobiles. In the Formula One Championship, BRM often raced its cars under the team name ‘Owen Racing’. Through the 1950s and into the late 1970s, BRM won 17 races and secured one Constructor’ and one Drivers’ Championships. Both championships were won in 1962 with Graham Hill behind the wheel. Other notable drivers who piloted a BRM car over the years included Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda. T9. Benetton: 1 Constructors’ Championship From 1986 to 2000, clothing manufacturer Benetton operated Benetton Formula Ltd. in the Formula One Championship. Looking to advertise and market itself to a broader world audience, Benetton began life in Formula One as a sponsor of teams such as Tyrrell and Alfa Romeo. In 1985, the company bought a team and started the 1986 season with a BMW engine. It was only when they partnered with engine maker Renault that notable success came.

Driving a Benetton-Renault in 1994, Michael Schumacher won the Drivers’ Championship. The next year, Benetton, with the driving skill of Schumacher, won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Other notable drivers of this team include Jenson Button , Gerhard Berger and Giancarlo Fisichella. In 2000, Benetton was bought by Renault for $120 million and officially became Renault F1 in 2002. T6. Cooper: 2 Constructors’ Championships In 1946, Charles Cooper and his son founded the Cooper Car Company in Surrey, England. Perhaps best known for the revolutionary Mini Cooper, Charles Cooper developed a variety of racers for Formula Three, Two and One. Cooper were influential in the development of the rear-mounted engine. This provided greater stability and balance and was soon adopted by all major teams. From 1950 until 1969, Cooper won 16 races and claimed two Contructors’ and two Drivers’ Championships.

These championships were secured in 1959 and 1960, thanks in large part to the use of the 2.5L engine from Coventry Climax. Cooper used engines from other manufacturers, including Maserati, but never achieved the same level of success after the 1959-60 seasons. Notable drivers for Cooper included Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren, founder of the McLaren automotive and racing ventures. T6. Renault: 2 Constructors’ Championships This French company existed as a Formula One constructor in three distinct phases. From 1977 to 1985, the team was known as Equipe Renault Elf. After purchasing Benetton in 2000, Renault F1 competed from 2002 until 2010. A final return was made in 2011, re-branded as Lotus Renault GP. During its time as a constructor, Renault won two Constructors’ and two Drivers’ Championships in 2005 and 2006. Fernando Alonso was instrumental in helping the company achieve success during these years.

Renault withdrew its cars from Formula One after 2011 but continue to supply engines for the competition. The French company has played an important role in the development of Formula One. It introduced the turbo-charged engine to the competition in 1977. Drivers have enjoyed considerable success using the company’s engines. Notable drivers who won Championships with a Renault engine include Sebastian Vettel , Michael Schumacher , Jacques Villeneuve , Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost. T6. Brabham: 2 Constructors’ Championships Officially known as Motor Racing Developments Ltd., Brabham was founded in 1960 by Jack Brabham, a former Cooper driver and Formula One champion and designer Ron Tauranac. Between 1962 and 1992, Brabham claimed two Constructors’ and four Drivers’ Championships. Notable drivers for this team include Niki Lauda, Graham Hill, Nelson Piquet and Jack Brabham. Brabham’s 1966 Drivers’ title is unique in that it is the only one done in a car bearing the driver’s name.

Engines for these championships cars were 300hp 3.0L V8s supplied by Australian company Repco. They were very competitive until Lotus began using a Ford Cosworth motor in 1967 which was more advanced and powerful. The team had a number of owners, including Bernie Ecclestone , but collapsed in 1992 after failing to make repayments of debts. 5. Red Bull: 4 Constructors’ Championships In 2004, Jaguar Racing, owned by Ford Motor Company, was put up for sale. Austrian beverage company Red Bull stepped in and purchased the company entering its inaugural season in 2005. In 2013, Infiniti became a title sponsor. The current force in Formula One, Infiniti Red Bull Racing has won the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships for the last four seasons. All of these titles were accomplished utilizing a Renault engine and the driving expertise of Sebastian Vettel . Red Bull’s recent dominance may be challenged this year as Formula One regulations see a switch to a new 1.6L turbocharged engine.

Red Bull beverages may not turn you into a Formula One driver – in fact, I still have no wings– but the company definitely knows how to build a Formula One contending team in a very short time. 4. Lotus: 7 Constructors’ Championships Most people think of the Esprit or Elise when they hear Lotus mentioned. Yet, Lotus also had a very successful Formula One team from 1958 to 1994. During this period, Team Lotus won sevem Constructors’ and six Drivers’ Championships. Notable drivers include Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton Senna , Mario Andretti , Nigel Mansell and Mika Häkkinen. Financial problems brought about the downfall of the company in 1994. David Hunt, brother of Formula One Champion James Hunt, purchased the team, stopped development of new cars and fired the staff. Legal issues over use of the name ‘Lotus’ continued for many years after. By 2012, Lotus-Renault GP were given the rights to the name and renamed Lotus F1, although this team is in no way tied to Team Lotus, dissolved in 1994. 3.

McLaren: 8 Constructors’ Championships Based in Surrey, England, McLaren Racing Ltd. is the second oldest active racing team in Formula One. Founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren, one-time driver for Cooper, this British team did not taste Formula One success until the mid-1970s. After that, McLaren became a powerhouse in Formula One, securing eight Constructors’ and twelve Drivers’ Championships between 1974 and 2008. In comparison with other teams on this list, McLaren has utilized one of the broadest ranges of engine manufacturers to power its cars. Titles were won using engines from TAG, Honda, Ford and Mercedes. Drivers who led the team to victory over these years included Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna . 2. Williams: 9 Constructors’ Championships Officially known as Williams GP Engineering Ltd., this team was founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams. The team’s first race was the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix and it won its first championships just three years later.

Between 1980 and 1997, Williams won nine Constructors’ and seven Drivers’ Championships. Its nine Constructor titles was a record which was not surpassed until 2000 by Ferrari. Success was achieved by using a mix of Honda, Ford and Renault engines, with the French-made engines powering the team to five of its titles. Of course, there was no shortage of driving talent to help handle the cars and victorious drivers included Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell , Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve and Nelson Piquet. Currently, the team utilizes a Mercedes-Benz engine and employs the driving skills of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. 1. Ferarri: 16 Constructors’ Championships Could there really be any other manufacturer at the top of this list? Formed in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest surviving team in Grand Prix racing. Initially using Alfa Romeos, a disagreement led to Enzo leaving in the late 1930s.

By the late 1940s, the reestablished Scuderia Ferrari team was using Ferrari-built cars to do battle with likes of Maserati and Bugatti. Between 1952 and 2008, Ferrari claimed sixteen Constructors’ and fifteen Drivers’ Championships. The team has claimed over 220 race victories thanks to excellent car and engine designs, as well as drivers like Alberto Ascari, Phil Hill, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter , Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen . Along with the most Championships and race victories, Ferrari also holds Formula One records for most podiums, pole positions, fastest laps and successful engine manufacturer, to a name a few. Furthermore, Scuderia Ferrari is not only limited to the Formula One Championship but has also competed successfully in endurance racing, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona, and road course races, like the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. Talk about an over-achiever. ShareOn Facebook Formula 1 Prize Money: What Are the Rewards Per Race and Per Season?

| Bleacher Report Formula 1 Prize Money: What Are the Rewards Per Race and Per Season? By Matthew Walthert , Featured Columnist Feb 11, 2014 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Handout/Getty Images Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner celebrate the 2013 Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. 95.4K 2 Comments There is a lot of money in Formula One; that is no secret. According to Reuters , the sport generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue in 2011. But how much of that money finds its way back to the teams? How much is a victory worth? Or the Constructors' Championship? As with many questions in F1, there are no simple answers. At the beginning of the 2013 season, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone explained that part of the deal to bring three new teams into the sport in 2010 had been that even teams finishing outside the top 10 would get a small share in the prize fund. Mark Thompson/Getty Images Going forward, though, Ecclestone told the Daily Telegraph : We pay the top ten, that’s what we do.

For three years we did something different because we had an agreement with [FIA president] Max [Mosley] but from now on we will pay the top ten and that is it. This caused a stir, as one of the three new teams, HRT, had just withdrawn from the sport due to financial problems. That left Caterham and Marussia presumably battling for 10th place and the final prize money payout. Based on a 13th-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Marussia claimed 10th in the Constructors' standings. As Caterham had finished 10th in the previous three years, this was something of an upset. Mark Thompson/Getty Images So, Marussia got paid and Caterham did not, right? Not quite. Caterham's head of communications, Tom Webb, told me in a phone interview, "It's not the disastrous picture that was painted by many outside observers. Having achieved 10th place in the championship for our first three seasons, we became established as what's known as a Column 1 team. ...

So for us, finishing 11th means slightly reduced prize money income, but it wasn't a case of 'all or nothing' as some people may have imagined it was." Confused yet? You should be. Luckily, longtime F1 journalist Joe Saward has an excellent explanation of the prize money breakdown on his blog, Joe Blogs F1 . According to Saward , there are two different categories for distributing the prize fund (the total amount of which changes each season, based on the sport's revenues). First, the Column 1 teams receive an equal share of 50 percent of the fund. Column 1 teams are those which have finished in the top 10 for at least two of the previous three seasons (hence Webb's comment). Felipe Dana/Associated Press The other 50 percent of the fund is distributed in Column 2 payments, based only on the previous season's Constructors' standings. The first-place team, per one of Saward's comments on his post, receives 19 percent of the Column 2 money, down to 4 percent for the 10th-place team.

By finishing 10th in 2013, Marussia qualified for Column 2, but Caterham retained its Column 1 status for its 10th-place finishes in 2011 and 2012. Saward also refers to Column 3 payments for teams outside the top 10, although these would seem to be the same payments that Ecclestone said no longer existed. For 2013, it is probably irrelevant anyway, as all the teams received either Column 1 or 2 payments. Here is a look at what each team earned for the 2013 season, assuming a $700 million prize fund: 2013 Formula 1 Prize Money Team $35 million Joe Saward, joesaward.wordpress.com In addition, Saward notes, "Ferrari has a special deal which means that the Italian team takes a small percentage of the prize money straight off the top. This is believed to be two and half percent, but may have increased." That is because Ferrari is the oldest and most prestigious team in the sport, and Ecclestone wants to keep the bosses in Maranello happy.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press So, at least for the teams near the back of the grid, the big money comes from the Column 1 payouts. For that reason, Caterham still received more than double Marussia's prize money for 2013. Of course, should Marussia finish ahead again in 2014, it would claim both the Column 1 and Column 2 payments, leaving Caterham hoping that Column 3 does, in fact, still exist. It should also be apparent from these numbers that a specific value cannot be placed on each race victory or even each point scored. The prize distribution is based on consistent success over the course of a season and, in the case of the Column 1 payments, over multiple seasons. At least, if the battle at the top of the standings in 2014 devolves into another game of follow-the-Red Bull, you can enjoy the skirmish for 10th and 11th places, knowing the result will sway more money one team's way than the fight for first and second.

Follow me on Twitter for updates when I publish an new article and for other (mostly) F1-related news and banter: Formula One World Constructors' Championship - Album on Imgur Formula One World Constructors' Championship Uploaded Dec 3 2015 Overview This table (crudely made using Libre Calc and GIMP, and probably full of errors) displays the finishing positions of all classified constructors since the World Constructors' Championship (WCC) was inaugurated in 1958, correct to the end of the 2015 season. WCC Points were scored using the same system as the World Drivers' Championship (WDC) of the time, with the following differences: - Before 1979, only the best placed car from each constructor at each race was eligible to score WCC points for that race. - Before 1999, constructors needed to score at least 1 point during the season to be classified in the WCC standings. Non-classified constructors are not shown here (which is why some teams have gaps in their line graphs). It's also important to note that different car/engine combinations are recognised as different constructors. This explains why some constructors have more than one entry in particular seasons (e.g.

in 1968, McLaren-BRM and McLaren-Ford are considered separate constructors, despite being a part of the same team). Constructors in bold yellow also won the World Drivers' Championship that year. Constructors in italics were excluded from that season's WCC (McLaren in 2007 being the only example that also classified). Constructors with only one line of text used engines which were branded with the same name. This can refer to teams which build their own engines (such as Ferrari), or teams using re-badged engines (for example, Sauber's engines were designed and built by Ilmor in 1993, but were renamed as "Sauber" engines). All other constructors' engine suppliers are displayed on the second line of text. Notable facts: - 10 different British constructors have won 33 WCC titles, the most of any nationality. Championships have also been won by Italian (16), Austrian (4), French (3) and German (2) constructors.

However, all of the non-Italian winners (except Matra in 1969) designed and built their cars in the United Kingdom, and were run by teams based in the UK. - The most classified constructors in any season was 16, in 1989. The least was 4, in 1959. - There have only been 9 seasons in which the WCC champion did not also win the WDC. This most recently happened in 2008. - The greatest WCC winning margin was 296 points, in 2014. The narrowest margin was 3 points, in 1964. - Matra is the only constructor to win a WCC despite not entering its own works team, which occurred in 1969. Ken Tyrrell entered Matra cars under his Matra International team. - Ferrari engines have won 16 WCC's, more than any other engine supplier, followed by Renault with 12 and Ford with 10. Tyrrell – BAR – Honda – Brawn – Mercedes The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team started life as Tyrrell Racing in 1970.

Ken Tyrrell, the team's founder, had previously been the team principal for Matra International, the team with which he won the 1969 WCC. He began to develop his own car throughout 1970, and entered it in the last three races of the season, scoring no points. Tyrrell won its first and only WCC the following season. Jackie Stewart won three drivers' titles with the team. Its last season was 1998. Tyrrell was sold to British American Tobacco in 1997, and the team was entered as British American Racing for the 1999 season. BAR recorded no race victories or championships during its time. Honda bought a 45% stake in the team in 2004, and bought the remaining 55% the following year. Honda ran the team as a factory team between 2006 and 2008, winning one race. Honda decided to leave Formula 1 completely at the end of the 2008 season due to the global financial crisis.

The team was saved by a management buyout by team principal Ross Brawn and CEO Nick Fry, which enabled the team to compete in the 2009 season at the last minute, under the name Brawn GP. Brawn GP only existed for the one season, but the team easily won the 2009 WCC, with 8 wins, 15 podiums and 5 pole positions. By winning the only championship it ever competed in, this made Brawn GP the only constructor in the history of Formula 1 with a 100% championship success rate. Jenson Button also won that year's WDC. Mercedes partnered with Aabar Investments to purchase a majority stake of the team, which became the Mercedes factory team for 2010. The team has existed as Mercedes since then, winning two constructors' championships in 2014 and 2015. Lewis Hamilton also won the drivers' title on both occasions. Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1927, and has been based in the Italian town of Maranello for most of its life.

Ferrari are the only team to have competed in Formula 1 every year since the first season in 1950, and are the most successful team in the sport's history, winning 16 WCC's, 15 WDC's and 224 races from 907 starts. The team had enjoyed general success throughout its life, including a highly successful period where it won six consecutive WCC titles, between 1999 and 2004, including five consecutive drivers' championships for Michael Schumacher. Kimi Räikkönen is the team's most recent WDC winner (2007). Williams Williams Martini Racing is the third-oldest team currently operating in Formula 1, having been founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams, who is still the team principal. Before the team came into existence, Frank Williams also operated Frank Williams Racing Cars, which is considered a separate team. FWRC had previously finished the 1973-74 seasons in 10th, racing as “Iso-Marlboro”, followed by 9th for the 1975 season as “Williams”.

The team was then bought by Walter Wolf, but failed to score any points in 1976. Wolf then restructured the team, resulting in Frank Williams leaving to found Williams Grand Prix Engineering. The team has won nine constructors' titles, as well as seven drivers' titles. Jacques Villeneuve's championship in 1997 was the team's most recent. Williams also holds the record of the lowest finish in a season's WCC while still winning the WDC – Keke Rosberg won the title in 1982 while the team only finished 4th. Stewart – Jaguar – Red Bull Infiniti Red Bull Racing can trace its path back to Stewart Grand Prix, a team founded by Sir Jackie Stewart in 1997, himself a former three-time world champion with Matra and Tyrrell. The team scored one race victory in its three year existence. Ford purchased the team after the 1999 season, and it became Jaguar Racing the following year. The team never finished higher than 7th in the constructor standings, and never won any races.

As a result, Ford sold the team to Austrian energy drink company Red Bull, who renamed the team Red Bull Racing for the 2005 season. Red Bull gradually found form over the next few years, before winning four WCC's in a row between 2010 and 2013. Sebastian Vettel also won the drivers' title on all four occasions. Jordan – MF1 – Spyker – Force India The Sahara Force India Formula One Team originated from Jordan Grand Prix, a team founded by Eddie Jordan in 1991 that had seen success in F3 and F3000 in previous years. Jordan raced from 1991 until the end of 2005, scoring four race victories. The team was sold to the Midland Group before the 2005 season, and the team was renamed to MF1 Racing for 2006, competing as Midland. Partway through the 2006 season, the team was sold to Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker, seeing out the season as Spyker MF1 Racing. The team was officially renamed to Spyker F1 for 2007. The team failed to win any races under either guise.

Indian businessman Vijay Mallya purchased the team before the 2008 season, and the team has competed as Force India since then. Toleman – Benetton – Renault – Lotus The current Lotus F1 Team is the third different iteration of Lotus to have existed in Formula 1. The original Team Lotus raced in F1 between 1958 and 1994. The second iteration was founded by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes in 2010, and competed as Lotus for two seasons before being renamed to Caterham for 2012. The third iteration currently races as Lotus F1, but was formed in 1981 as Toleman Motorsport. Toleman existed from 1981 to the end of 1985, and was notable for launching the career of future three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, who nearly won the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix for the team. At the end of the 1985 season, the team was acquired by the Benetton Group, who renamed the team Benetton Formula for 1986.

Benetton raced as a British team until 1995, then as an Italian team until the team was sold. The team won 27 races during its lifespan, as well as a constructors' title in 1995. Michael Schumacher also won the WDC that season, as he had done the year before. The team was sold to Renault in 2000, but continued to race as Benetton until the end of the 2001 season. The team became Renault's factory team for 2002, continuing the legacy of the previous Renault factory team which had won 15 races between 1977 and 1985. The new Renault team enjoyed more success, winning 20 races between 2002 and 2011. The team also won the 2005 and 2006 constructors' titles, breaking Ferrari's six-year streak. Fernando Alonso also won the drivers' championship on both occasions. Lotus Cars bought 25% of the team before the 2011 season, and the team competed as Lotus Renault GP during this season.

This caused a dispute with Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus over naming rights, which was resolved when Fernandes renamed his team to Caterham F1 for 2012. Lotus Renault subsequently became Lotus F1, having attained full naming rights. The team has competed as Lotus F1 since 2012, scoring two victories in the process. Minardi – Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso originally started as the Minardi team, founded by Giancarlo Minardi in 1985, and based in the Italian town of Faenza throughout its life. Minardi competed until 2005, despite never winning any of the 345 races it entered. The team was nevertheless well respected in the F1 community, and had a loyal base of fans. The team was sold at the end of the 2005 season to Red Bull, who renamed the team Scuderia Toro Rosso and used it as a sister team to Red Bull Racing. Increased funding from Red Bull has allowed STR to generally perform better than Minardi could manage over the years, and the team even won a race in 2008, the Italian Grand Prix.

It was the first win for Sebastian Vettel, who later won four would championships in a row with Red Bull Racing. The win also marked the only victory in history by a team using customer Ferrari engines. The team continues to be used as a breeding ground for Red Bull drivers. Sauber The Sauber F1 Team was founded by Peter Sauber as a hillclimbing and sportscar team in the 1970's. The team had initially been successful as Mercedes' factory team in sportscars, winning the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hour race, before joining Formula 1 in 1993. The team competed as privateers until 2006, when BMW bought an 80% stake in the team, having been associated with Williams for the fast five years. Sauber became BMW's factory team, and was renamed BMW Sauber. The partnership enabled the team to win its first and only race at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. BMW withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season, selling its share of the team back to Peter Sauber.

Despite the change of ownership, the team still raced as BMW Sauber in 2010, despite using no BMW parts and being supplied engines by Ferrari. The team's name was reverted to Sauber before the 2011 season, and the team has competed as such since then. McLaren McLaren Racing was formed by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team has raced in Formula 1 since 1966, making them the second oldest team in existence. McLaren are one of the most successful teams in the sport, having won eight constructors' championships, 12 drivers' titles and 182 races from 780 race starts. The team was particularly well known for its dominance in the late 1980's, with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna winning titles. McLaren's 1988 car, the MP4/4, was the most dominant car in the history of the sport, winning 15 out of 16 races that season.

The team was also notably stripped of all points and disqualified from the 2007 WCC, after evidence surfaced that they had spied on Ferrari and taken confidential information, as well as passing on technical information to Renault. Despite this, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the WDC the following year, the most recent championship for the team. Virgin – Marussia The Manor Marussia F1 Team started its life in 2010 as Virgin Racing, owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Manor Motorsport. The team was one of three debutantes in 2010, alongside Hispania Racing Team and Tony Fernandes' Lotus Racing, and is the only one of these teams still in existence. Marussia Motors bought a stake in the team after its debut season, renaming it Marussia Virgin Racing for 2011. Ownership of the team was transferred from Virgin to Marussia after the season, and the team became Marussia F2 for 2012. The team scored its first championship points at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, when Jules Bianchi finished 9th. Despite this, the team entered administration at the end of the season and ceased trading that November.

The team exited administration the following February after securing financial backing, and resumed racing from the second race of the 2015 season. Line comparison Some other well known teams of years gone by... TEAM LOTUS (1958-1994) was founded by Colin Chapman as the factory team to Lotus Cars. The team was incredibly successful in the 1960's and 70's, winning seven WCC's and six WDC's. Lotus was famous for many technical innovations implemented by Chapman that are now ubiquitous in Formula 1, such as a successful stressed-member engine, side-mounted radiators and rocker arm suspension, as well as ground effect aerodynamics and active suspension, which were both later outlawed. After Chapman's death in 1982, the team's form began to decline, and Lotus was forced to close its doors after the 1994 season. MOTOR RACING DEVELOPMENTS (1962-1992), more commonly known as BRABHAM, was formed by world champion Sir Jack Brabham and designer Ron Tauranac.

Brabham drove the team to its first WCC in 1966, and also won the drivers' title that year. This feat made him the only driver in history to win the world championship in a car bearing his own name. The team repeated its success the following year, with Denny Hulme winning the WDC. Like Lotus, Brabham was known for technical innovations. They were the first team to employ wind tunnel testing, carbon-carbon brakes and carbon fibre composite panels, and also reintroduced pit stops for fuel and tires in 1982. The team was also known for flirting with loopholes in the regulations, introducing technology such as hydropneumatic suspension and the infamous BT46B “Fan Car”. Current Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone owned the team in the 1970's and 80's, and the team won two more driver's championships with Nelson Piquet in 1981 and 1983. The Middlebridge Group bought the team in 1989, but ran into financial difficulties which caused the team to collapse midway through the 1992 season.

EQUIPE LIGIER (1976-1996) was formed by Guy Ligier, a former rugby player turned racing driver. Despite entering 326 races, the team never won a championship, but did win nine races. The most recent of these wins came at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix at the hands of Olivier Panis, a race that only three cars actually finished. The team was sold to Alain Prost at the end of the season and became Prost Grand Prix, however the team wasn't competitive and filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The COOPER CAR COMPANY (1950-1969) was founded by Charles and John Cooper, and started out building F3 cars for customers. The team's first F1 race was the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, and the car was the first ever rear-engined Formula 1 car. The team helped to revolutionise car design throughout the 1950's, and the team won two WCC's in 1959 and 1960, with Jack Brabham also winning both WDC's.

Since then, every world champion has been driving a rear-engined car. Cooper (as a works team) last participated in Formula 1 in 1968, and the last Cooper customer car raced in 1969. Despite this, Cooper maintained a strong legacy as the pioneers of rear-mounted engines, and the team also helped to develop a racing industry in the UK that still thrives today. What about VANWALL, the first ever WCC? After their championship season, the team's owner fell ill and the team only participated in two more races over the next two seasons, retiring on both occasions. A rather unfortunate end, if you ask me. Fernando Alonso and Formula 1's Worst Career Moves | Bleacher Report Fernando Alonso and Formula 1's Worst Career Moves By Neil James , Featured Columnist Feb 10, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Clive Mason/Getty Images 4 Comments By moving from Ferrari to McLaren, Fernando Alonso might have made a terrible career move. If he has, he'll be in good company—Formula One history is filled with tales of drivers who ended up at the wrong team at the wrong time.

The most recent standout example is, unfortunately, Alonso himself. The Spaniard, considered one of the greatest drivers of his generation, had the misfortune to arrive at Ferrari in 2010 just as the Red Bull juggernaut was starting to roll. The Scuderia, constructors' champions eight times in the previous 11 years, failed for five years in a row to build a car worthy of the title. Alonso somehow challenged for the drivers' championship twice, but these close calls were in spite of his car, not because of it. After five years and just 11 wins with the Italian squad, Alonso had had enough and decided to gamble on a switch to McLaren for 2015. One year later, it appears to have been the wrong call—McLaren, struggling with their terrible new Honda power unit, finished ninth in the 2015 championship, and Alonso scored points on just two occasions. A return to race-winning form in 2016 looks unlikely. Ferrari, meanwhile, are experiencing something of a resurgence. They won three races last season and look the team most likely to threaten Mercedes' dominance in the season ahead.

But there are no guarantees in F1, and it's too early to say whether Alonso's McLaren move was a good or bad decision. If Honda can find the right solutions in a timely fashion, fans of the future may remember it as one of the best in the sport's history—worthy of inclusion on our list of great moves . Or it could turn out to be what current evidence—if we put our gut feelings aside—suggests: a bad one, worthy of inclusion on the list that follows. Here, we look back at five drivers—all of them active in the 17 years since McLaren last won the constructors' championship—who made career moves that, even if they looked reasonable at the time, turned out very badly indeed. Jean Alesi: Tyrrell to Ferrari in 1991 JEAN-LOUP GAUTREAU/Getty Images Jean Alesi in 1992. Jean Alesi is remembered as one of the great unfulfilled talents of the past 30 years. The Frenchman retired at the end of the 2001 season after a 13-year career in which he stood on the podium 32 times but won just a single race.

Had he made a different decision in 1990, his name may instead be associated with multiple world titles. Alesi made his F1 debut for Tyrrell midway through the 1989 season. He was fourth on his debut and doubled up for the rest of the year, driving in both F1 and Formula 3000 and winning the championship in the latter. Ken Tyrrell always had an eye for talent, and the young Alesi was signed up as a full-time F1 driver for 1990. At the first race of the season, he qualified fourth and finished second after a brilliant duel with Ayrton Senna. Though he only scored points on two further occasions that year—including a second-place finish at Monaco—Alesi was in huge demand ahead of the 1991 season. He signed a contract with Williams to race for them, but as the Williams website recounts, Ferrari were also keen. Faced with what would later be looked back on as a career-defining choice, Alesi—the son of Italian parents—opted for the Scuderia. Whatever part childhood dreams played, it made sense from a racing perspective as well.

Ferrari had built a very strong car in 1990 and Alain Prost had challenged for the title; Williams, though also race-winners that year, were only fourth in the constructors' championship. But over the five years that followed, Ferrari didn't produce a single good car, and Alesi won just one race—the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix. In the same period, Williams became the sport's dominant force. The 1991 FW14 got out of the blocks slowly, but it was the best car on the grid by the end of the year, and the 1992 and 1993 challengers were both title-winning machines—had he joined the team in 1991, those titles might have been won by Alesi. Even in 1994 and 1995, when Michael Schumacher and Benetton led the way, Williams won multiple races. Alesi left Ferrari when Schumacher joined in 1996, and he arrived at Benetton just as their decline began.

Drives with midfield teams took him to the end of 2001, and he retired at the age of 37 with just a single grand prix victory to his name. Had he joined Williams in 1991, his memories would be very different. Damon Hill: Williams to Arrows in 1997 Mark Thompson/Getty Images Damon Hill in 1997. Damon Hill's early career didn't mark him out as a future world champion, but following the death of Williams team-mate Ayrton Senna in 1994, he rose to lead a devastated team. His hard work was rewarded in 1996, when he became the first son of a world champion to also claim the crown. Father Graham defended both his titles with the teams he won them for—BRM in 1962 and Lotus in 1968—but Damon wouldn't have that opportunity, because Williams had already decided to replace him from 1997 onward with young German Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Motorsport magazine's Alex Harmer recalls this decision had been made based on Hill's poor performances in 1995, not his better display in 1996—but whatever the reasoning, the Brit needed a new team. Per the Independent 's report, Hill only became aware he was being replaced at the end of August—by then, most of the better teams had already filled their seats. With few options on the table, he declined Jordan's offer and joined Tom Walkinshaw's Arrows team, in what grandprix.com called "one of the most surprising F1 moves in recent years." This writer, at the time a young Damon Hill fan, was as perplexed and stunned as the rest of the F1 world. Walkinson talked a good game, but Arrows—in their Footwork guise—had scored just one point in 1996. As 1997 got under way, it became clear Hill wasn't going to have a good season. He qualified 20th for the first race and failed to start after his car broke down on the formation lap; eight rounds in, Hill had only finished three races and was yet to score a point.

Things got a little better as the year wore on, and Hill narrowly missed out on what would have been a brilliant victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix when his car developed a problem in the closing laps. But overall, 1997 was a disaster, and it will be remembered as one of the worst title defenses in F1 history. Jordan, the team he rejected, didn't set the world on fire—but they did at least manage a handful of podiums despite running two inexperienced drivers. Hill accepted the Irish team's offer in 1998 and added a final victory to his tally at the Belgian Grand Prix, but his interest in F1 was rapidly deteriorating. He retired at the end of 1999 after being outclassed by Frentzen—who was himself, by then, a Williams reject. Jacques Villeneuve: Williams to BAR in 1999 KAZUHIRO NOGI/Getty Images Jacques Villeneuve's F1 career was similar to the life of literary character Benjamin Button .

Whereas a typical driver might build up to a championship-winning car after several years in the midfield, Villeneuve made his debut driving the best car on the grid, then spent the rest of his career going backwards through the field. After coming second in the standings behind Williams team-mate Damon Hill in 1996, Villeneuve took the 1997 title after a final-race showdown with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher. He looked set for a long and glittering career—the sort his father, the legendary Gilles Villeneuve, should have had. But following a less-successful 1998 season, in which McLaren and Ferrari rose to become the dominant teams, Villeneuve decided to move on. He signed up to join manager Craig Pollock's fledgling British American Racing team, an outfit that would be shaped around him—but Villeneuve later revealed this wasn't his only option. Speaking to Auto Hebdo ( h/t Planet F1 ) in February 2016, he claimed: "I actually received an offer from McLaren.

Adrian Newey had called me to ask me not to sign with BAR and to join him instead." However, Villeneuve was sufficiently taken in by the BAR project. Speaking in 1998 after he was announced as a driver for 1999, he said (h/t Jos and Max Verstappen's website ): I have told every journalist who covers F1 racing in recent weeks that I would go with a team that would allow me to compete at the front of the grid. I know from experience that Adrian [Reynard] and his people can produce a very competitive package, and I am very comfortable with the new Supertec Sport engine. Most importantly, I am very happy to be back with Craig, Adrian and Rick [Gorne] on what is shaping up to be the team of the future. We all share the same philosophy of racing. The reality was somewhat different to the hype. The "team of the future" failed to score a single point in 1999; in five years with BAR, Villeneuve managed just two podiums, 15 points finishes and a grand total of 39 world championship points. The Canadian's career, and to an extent his reputation, never recovered.

He was dropped by BAR at the end of 2003, drove three races for Renault at the end of 2004 and signed with Sauber for 2005 and 2006. The Swiss team looked to have a bright future after they were bought by BMW, but Villeneuve was booted out in favour of Robert Kubica midway through the 2006 season—and a career that started with a bang ended with barely a whimper. Mark Webber: Jaguar to Williams in 2005 Clive Mason/Getty Images Mark Webber at Williams in 2005. Mark Webber's F1 story began all the way back in 2002, but it wasn't until 2009 that he won his first grand prix. This 129-race barren streak remains the longest wait for a first race win in F1 history—but his career could have taken off far earlier had he taken a different path in 2005. The Australian impressed in his debut season with Minardi then moved to Jaguar for 2003.

Another tidy year saw him already being linked to top drives, with Autosport reporting Renault—the team run by his manager, Flavio Briatore—were considering taking up an option on his services for 2005. Williams were also interested, and Webber had a decision to make as he neared the end of 2004. He opted to join the English team, and speaking to the Guardian's Donald McRae in 2013, he revealed this was the only decision of his career that he regretted. [The only thing I would change] would be to have gone to Renault rather than Williams [in 2005]. Renault hadn't won a race but soon after that they ran it. They were like the Red Bull of the time. I would've been winning earlier and had Fernando [Alonso] as a team-mate. So I had to rebuild myself and that took a bit of juice out of me. At the time it looked like a coin-toss decision—both Williams and Renault had been fairly strong in the years up to and including 2004 and both looked good bets for the future.

But 2005 marked the start of a decline for Williams as their relationship with BMW fell apart; Renault, meanwhile, became title-contenders. At Renault, Webber probably wouldn't have won the world championship in either 2005 or 2006—he wouldn't have beaten Alonso. But the Australian would certainly have won races and scored far more podiums than the one he achieved for Williams. Webber did eventually make the right call when he joined Red Bull in 2007, and the final years of his career were far more fruitful than those at the start. He retired at the end of 2013 having won nine races and scored more than 1,000 world championship points. His was a fine career—but it might have been that little bit better. Timo Glock: Toyota to Manor/Virgin in 2010 Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press Timo Glock in 2010. Timo Glock made his F1 debut at the age of 22 in 2004, when he replaced Jordan's Giorgio Pantano for four races.

Three years and a GP2 title later, he returned to the sport as a full-time driver for Toyota in 2008. The German did well in his two seasons with the Japanese team, taking three podium finishes, but they were pulling out at the end of 2009. Glock needed a new team, and there were a few offers on his table. Toward the end of October, Bild ( h/t GP Update ) reported a deal for Glock to join Renault was "95 per cent perfect." However, there remained question marks over the French team's future, so Glock opted instead for a drive with a team he knew would definitely be on the grid—new boys Manor. Speaking after signing the contract, Glock said ( h/t Crash.net ): I had several options for 2010, some of them with more established teams. Every driver has the same overall objective—to win the world championship one day—but the way I want to succeed is to be part of the process of building a team and to play a key role in developing the car. This is why the opportunity with Manor Grand Prix is so exciting for me.

Soon after Glock signed with Manor, BBC Sport revealed the future of the Renault team had been secured and they would race on under new ownership. The 2010 car wasn't a spectacular success, but they did at least score three podiums on their way to fifth in the constructors' championship. Manor, who had changed their name to Virgin Racing ahead of the 2010 season, failed to score a single point. The car wasn't even close to being good enough, and no great improvements were made in 2011 or 2012. After three pointless years, Glock had a contract to continue with the team, now called Marussia, into 2013. However, they were experiencing significant financial difficulties—and Glock put their future ahead of his own. Per Autoweek , he allowed Marussia to cancel his contract in order to secure the services of a paying driver—ensuring they could continue in F1. But his own time in the sport was over, and he has raced in DTM ever since. Had Glock gone to Renault in 2010, he might still be on the grid today.

Question: Which team won the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship in 2010?
Answer: RED BULL